Automatic circuit reclosers



May 26, 1959 L. v. CHABALA 2,888,198

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT RECLOSERS Filed March 24. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.l.

WITNESSES. INVENTOR M Leonard V.Chc|bo|o. 9

' svg/ "%J L ATTORNE May 26, 1959 L. v. CHABALA AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT RECLOSERS' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24; 1954 Fig.3.

Counter United States Patent AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT RECLOSERS Leonard V. Chabala, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania My invention relates generally to circuit interrupters, and it has reference in particular to a remote operation counter for an automatic circuit recloser.

Generally stated it is an object of my invention to provide a new and novel remote operation counter for an automatic circuit recloser.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide in an automatic circuit recloser for operating a remotely located electrical counter in response to separation of the recloser contacts within the recloser container.

Another object of my invention is to provide for producing an electrical impulse each time the contacts of a circuit interrupter separate and for transmitting this im pulse to operate an electric counter.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide for using an impulse generator within the container of a recloser for operating a remotely located counter each time the recloser opens.

It is also an important object of my invention to provide for using a permanent magnet impulse generator in the tank of a recloser having a part actuated in accordance with movement of the contact separating mechanism for producing electrical impulses to operate a remotely located operation counter.

Still another object of my invention is to provide for actuating a magnetic shunt and a switch in accordance with the separation of the contacts of an automatic recloser to vary the flux linkages of a permanent magnet core with a coil for producing an electrical impulse to operate an electrically operated counter.

In practicing my invention, an electrically operated operation counter is located at a convenient location on a pole where it can be easily read, and is connected by suitable wiring to an electromagnetic impulse generator mounted in the tank of a recloser mounted on the pole. The generator has a coil with a magnetic circuit having a permanent magnet portion, a portion of the magnetic circuit comprising a movable magnetic shunt connected to a part of the mechanism which moves each time the contacts separate.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention reference may be made to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which: 7

Figure 1 is a substantially central vertical section view of a recloser constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a reduced side elevational view of the recloser shown in Fig. 1, showing it mounted on a pole;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view, partly in section, of the impulse generator shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the impulse generator; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the impulse generator and electric operation counter.

The recloser shown in the drawings is basically subs'tantially the same as that described in Patent No. 2,622,- 167 of H. L. Rawlins et al., except that the dashpot is modified as shown in Patent No. 2,626,329 and is therein illustrated as being mounted in a metal tank 2 having a closed bottom wall and an open top. Preferably, the tank is adapted to be lined at least over the bottom wall and up to a point adjacent the open top of the container with a liner 3 of insulating material such as fiber, or the like, and is filled up to the level L with liquid, preferably a liquid having arc extinguishing ability such as oil. The upper end of tank 2 is provided with an outwardly extending flange 4 on which the flange 8 of a cover casting 6 is adapted to be seated, preferably, with a gasket 10' interposed therebetween. Cover casting 6 may be secured to the tank in any desired manner, such for example, as by bolts (not shown) secured to suitably formed brackets on the tank.

The recloser contacts and certain of the contact actuating mechanism are adapted to be supported in tank 2 from cover casting 6 by means of integral supporting lugs 16 (only one of which is shown) depending from the top wall of the cover casting and adapted to engage insulating spacer rods 18 having threaded studs (not shown) engaging threaded openings in rods 18, lugs 16, and a supporting casting 20. A supporting plate 22 may be supported in a similar manner from casting 20, so that a solenoid coil 24 may be mounted between casting 20 and supporting plate 22, which act as pole pieces, with the central opening in the coil aligned with openings provided in casting 20 and plate 22.

Spaced stationary contacts 26 of the recloser are each supported from plate 22 by a support tube 28 of insulating material, such as fiber, with the stationary contacts being mounted on support 28 by means of screws 30 and with the upper end of the support 28 having brackets 32 by means of which the support is secured to supporting plate 22.

Stationary contacts 26 are adapted to be closed by engagement therewith of a bridging contact 36 having contact tips 38 at opposite ends thereof for engagement with the stationary contacts, respectively. Bridging contact 36 is supported substantially centrally thereof on a slidable contact actuating rod 44 by pivot pin 40 for limited pivotal movement about a transverse axis on contact actuating rod 44. Contact rod 44 may be of an insulating material such as fiber or a molded insulating material.

The upper end of contact actuating rod 44 has a pair. of connecting links 46 positioned at each side thereof and pivoted thereon as by a pivot pin 48, with the upper ends of these connecting links mounted on a common pivot pin 50 for a pair of toggle levers 52 and 54. Toggle levers 52 and 54 are both formed of sheet material, with lever 54 being bent to substantially channel form with outwardly extending fianges 56 adapted to be received at the free ends thereof in recesses 58 provided in the spaced downwardly depending fingers of an angled supporting'bracket 60 which, in turn, is secured to a lug 62 integral with the cover casting. Preferably, the base of the channel part of toggle lever 54 is extended at 66 through the space between the supporting fingers of bracket 60, and at the other end of lever 54 the sides. of the channel formation thereof are extended to be mounted on pivot pin 50. Lever 52 has a hooked extension 69 extending through lever 54 to limit separation therefrom. A coil tension spring 68 has one end hooked into an opening 70 provided in toggle lever 52, and has the opposite end thereof hooked over an integral spring support on the cover casting.

Solenoid coil 24 previously mentioned is adapted to be energized under certain conditions for automatically opening the circuit recloser contacts. The central opening through coil 24 preferably is provided with a cylindrical sleeve 74 in which a solenoid core 76 is adapted to be slidably mounted in a piston-like manner. The sleeve 74 communicates with an annular passage 78 in the casting, which connects with a passage 80 having a threaded end opening 81 for receiving a plug (not shown) if all time delay operation of the recloser is desired.

A contact actuating sleeve 82 is telescoped over contact actuating rod 44 and its lower end is received in core 76 and preferably threadably mounted therein. A coil compression spring 83 is provided within actuating sleeve 32 on contact actuating rod 44 and is adapted to react between a shoulder in the core and a pin 34 extending transversely through actuating rod 44. A bushing 35 surmounts the sleeve 82 and is provided with flange 86.

The circuit through the circuit recloser thus far described may now be traced from the point where it enters tank 2 through one of a pair of terminal bushings 90 (only one being shown), each being provided with a conductor element which extends through the bushing and emerges from a reduced extension 96 of the bushing seated in an opening provided in the top wall of cover casting 6, and proceeds by conductor 98 directly to one fixed contact 26 of the recloser. When the contacts are in engagement, the circuit then proceeds through bridging contact 36 to the other fixed contact 38, and then by way of a conductor 100 to one terminal of solenoid coil 24. The other terminal of coil 24 is adapted to be connected by a conductor 102 to the conducting means in the other terminal bushing 90. It will be apparent that solenoid coil 24 in this embodiment of the invention is connected in series in the circuit through the circuit recloser so as to be energized at all times when the circuit recloser is closed, an amount dependent upon the value of current flowing in the circuit.

For any given rating of circuit recloser, solenoid coil 24 is designed to become sufficiently energized when the load current in the circuit exceeds its rating as to attract core 76 and move it upwardly within sleeve 74. Core 76 will move upwardly relatively rapidly if the passage 80 is open and slowly if it is closed, since it is necessary to displace the liquid in sleeve 74 above the core either through the opening 81 or through relatively small clearance between the core and sleeve 74. Accordingly, if the opening 81 is open, as shown, opening movement of the core will be slowed up by the aforesaid dashpot action and opening movement thereof may be relatively rapid. When core 76 commences its upward travel, bridging contact 36 being held engaged by toggle spring 68 does not move, so that spring 83 is compressed until it is substantially solid, at which point the upper end of bushing 85 strikes a collar 87 secured to rod 44. Thereupon, actuating rod 44 moves upwardly and the force exerted by toggle spring 68 begins to decrease and in a very short distance has substantially no value at all, so that the remaining major part of the circuit opening movement of bridging contact 36 occurs extremely rapidly due to expansion of spring 83. When the recloser contacts have attained their full open circuit position, the parts associated therewith are biased to return by gravity.

In order to limit the number of operations of the circuit recloser in close succession upon the occurrence of a continuing overload on the circuit and to provide for manual operation, means are provided for holding the recloser contacts open in response to the occurrence of a predetermined number of closely succeeding circuit interrupting operations, which means can be manually actuated. This means comprises a toggle lever 104 pivoted at one end as at 106 on a U-shaped spring lever 108 which, in turn, is pivotally supported as at 110 between the legs of a U-shaped supporting bracket 111 secured to cover casting 6. The other end of toggle lever 104 is pivoted, as by a pivot pin 112, to the adjacent end of a second toggle lever 114, and this, in turn, is mounted on a pivot 116 intermediate its ends, with the pin 116 being 4 mounted in a bracket 118 secured to the adjacent wall of cover casting 6. A slot 120 is provided through the cover casting 6 for receiving the other end of toggle lever 114 which acts as a manual operating handle at the exterior of the circuit recloser casing, being provided with an angled hook end 122. A coil compression spring 124 is mounted to react between the bight of lever 108 and cover casting 6. Normally, toggle levers 104 and 114 are held by spring 124 with pivot 112 below the center line connecting pins 106 and 116, with the outer end of lever 11.4 positioned in and beneath an open portion of an integral hood 126 on cover casting 6, in engagement with an adjustable stop screw 128 mounted in the hood.

In the position of toggle levers 104 and 114 illustrated, they have no effect on operation of the circuit recloser as previously described, being normally inactive in this respect. However, lever 108 has a connecting pin 113 extending beneath toggle levers 52 and 54. Accordingly, if it is desired to manually open the circuit recloser contacts, a hook stick or similar operating member may be engaged with the upper side of angle hook 122 of toggle lever 114 and pulled downwardly to rotate the toggle lever in a counterclockwise direction about its supporting pivot 116 to move toggle levers 104 and 114 overcenter in an upward direction, and in doing this, pin 113 engages toggle levers 52 and 54 and moves them upwardly in a counterclockwise direction, thus carrying contact actuating rod 44 upwardly to separate bridging contact 38 from stationary contacts 26. The contacts will be held open by spring 124, which maintains toggle levers 104 and 114 in their upper overcenter position. In thus manually opening the circuit after toggle spring 68 is moved to its on-center position, it Wlil be observed that the spring 124 is only required to maintain the contacts of the recloser open against the relatively light closing bias due to gravity, and such light bias as may be due to toggle spring 68 in the event that toggle levers 52 and 54 are stopped just prior to reaching their oncenter position. With the recloser contacts maintained at their open circuit position following the manual circuit opening operation described above, it will be apparent that the outer end of toggle lever 114 projects below hood 126 of cover casting 6 so as to provide a readily visible indication that the recloser contacts are maintained at open circuit position. It will further be apparent that the recloser contacts may then be closed only by manual operation of toggle lever 114 in the opposite direction, that is, by exerting an upward force on the outer end of the toggle lever by engagement of a hook stick or the like with the underside of hook 122, to rotate lever 114 in a clockwise direction to move it and toggle lever 104 back overcenter to the full line position illustrated on the drawings.

An integrating mechanism for automatically moving toggle levers 104 and 114 upwardly overcenter and thus preventing reclosing of the circuit recloser in response to a predetermined number of closely successive circuit interrupting operations, is provided, comprising a cylindri cal tube 130 clamped or otherwise secured in a lateral extension of casting 20 at the top of solenoid coil 24, and this tube has a plug 132 threaded into the lower end thereof with the plug having a small central opening controlled by a ball-check valve 134, which permits flow of fluid into the lower end of tube 130 but prevents outflow. An integrating piston 136 is mounted in tube 130 and normally rests on the upper end of plug 132, being provided with a reduced extension 138 at the. upper end thereof having a plurality of spaced circular flanges 140 forming rack teeth thereon, and having an elongated extension 142 of insulating material on the extreme outer end thereof which is positioned below an extension 143 on toggle lever 104. A pawl lever 144 is pivotally mounted at one end as at 146, this end of pawl lever 144 being, split with legs located at each side of tube 130 and with pivot 146 supported on spaced supporting flanges 145 integral with casting 30.

Pawl lever 144 has a connecting web intermediate its ends, and at the other end thereof the sides of the lever are extended outwardly and laterally as at 148, to normally be in engagement with flange 86 of actuating tube 82 adjacent the outer end of this tube. Pawl lever 144 is normally biased into engagement with flange 86 by a coil tension spring 152 hooked over the remote edge of the web of the pawl lever at one end and anchored to an ear integral with casing 20 at its other end. Pawl lever 144 is provided with a pawl member 154 pivoted thereon as at 156, and biased by a spring 158 in a counterclockwise direction to a position wherein a tail portion of pawl member 154" engages under the connecting web of pawl lever 144.

The tube 130 intersects the passage 80 of the dashpot, and the piston 136 acts as a valve to control venting thereof. With the piston as shown, the dashpot vents freely and operation of the recloser is rapid. When the piston 136 is moved upwardly by the pawl 154, it first partially and then completely blocks the passage 80 so as to delay operation of the armature 76 slightly and then with an inverse time current characteristic.

As shown in Fig. 2, the recloser is usually mounted up on a pole 160 by brackets 161 and 162 on the tank 2. In order to check operations of the reclosed, an electrically operated counter 164 may be located remote from the recloser, near the ground where it may be more easily read. In order to operate such a counter, the recloser may be provided with an impulse generator 165 mounted in the tank 2 as shown in Fig. 1Q Connections may be made between the counter and generator by means of a junction base which is mounted beneath a portion of hood 126 to one side of the handle 122. As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the generator may comprise a coil 166 mounted on a core of magnetic material 167 which is generally U-shaped and has a permanent magnet member or portion 168 for producing flux linkage with the coil 166.

A shunt 170 of magnetic material is relatively loosely mounted on one leg 171 of the core 167 by a screw 173, and is provided with a resilient extension 175 for actuating it into and out of shunting relation with core 167 for varying the flux linkages with coil 166. Leg 172 of core 167 is provided with an extension 172' providing a mechanical and magnetic stop for shunt 170, and a pin 176 extending between this extension and leg 172 guides shunt 170. A fixed contact 178 mounted insulatedly on core 167 as by insulation 179 is engaged by a contact surface (not shown) on the shunt 170 only when extension 175 is pulled downwardly moving the shunt away from leg 171 and downward against the head of screw 173 which now acts as a pivot. The contact 178 and the shunt 170 are connected in series with coil 166 and the operating winding 180 of counter 164 so that only one impulse is applied thereto, as the recloser opens, for each opening and closing operation. Extension 175 may be connected as by an insulating link 181 to an extension 182 of pawl lever 144 so as to be actuated each time armature core 76 operates to open the recloser.

When a predetermined value of current flows in solenoid coil 24, armature 76 is drawn upwardly, compressing spring 83 and eventually bushing 85 strikes collar 87, lifting rod 44 and separating contacts 38 and 26, and the recloser 76 operates to open the circuit. Flange 86 will be carried upwardly with actuating sleeve 82 and thus rotate the pawl lever 144 counter clockwise about its pivot 146 causing the portion 155 of the pawl member 154 to engage the upper one of flanges 140 on integrating piston 136 to thus move the piston upwardly a predetermined distance. At the same time, extension 182 of pawl lever 144 moves downwardly pulling extension 175 of magnetic shunt 170 downwardly also. This moves the shunt away from leg 171 and against the head of screw 173, which acts as a pivot. Extension 175 bends slightly, until enough force is developed to overcome the magnetic attraction of extension 172' for shunt 170. The shunt thereupon moves away from extension 172' and toward leg 172 with a snap action. This momentarily introduces an appreciable air gap in the magnetic circuit andreduces the flux linkages with coil 166. As the shunt engages leg 172, the linkages again increase. These changes induce a voltage pulse in the coil, and when shunt is pulled downwardly it engages the contact 178 completing the circuit through the winding 180 of the counter. The operating winding 180 of counter 164 is thus energized to operate the counter and record an opening.

When the recloser recloses extension is pushed upwardly, and shunt170 moves upwardly from the head of screw 173, breaking the circuit at contact 178. Thus, the winding is not energized during the closing operation.

When the recloser recloses following such a first circuit interrupting operation, integrating piston 136 is left at the position to which it was advanced since pawl member 154 is free to disengage circular flanges 140, and if the recloser remains closed, integrator piston 136 will slowly reset to the position shown in Fig. 1 due to leakage of liquid in cylinder 130 below piston 136 through the relatively small clearance between the cylinder and piston. However, if the recloser immediately reopens after a first opening and reclosing operation, pawl member 154 this time will engage the next lower circular flange 140 on the integrator piston and raise the piston a further amount. Subsequent reclosing will result then in leaving piston 136 at this further advanced position from which it eventually will reset if the recloser re mains closed. However, in the event of a continuing overload, the recloser will again open and reclose. Each time it opens, counter 164 operates and pawl member 154 advances integrator piston 136 an amount sufificient to cause the upper extension 142 thereof to engage the extension 143 of toggle lever 104 and move this lever upwardly overcenter, so that toggle spring 124 will maintain the contacts separated in the manner previously described. It is thus apparent that toggle levers 104 four such operations. However, in the event a lesser number of closely successive opening and closing operations occur, the integrating mechanism will reset and the recloser contacts will be automatically held open only when the aforesaid predetermined number of opening and closing operations occur in close succession. Obviously, after the recloser contacts have been automatically actuated to a position where they are held open by toggle spring 124, they can be reclosed only by manual operation of toggle lever 114 in the manner previously described.

From the above description and the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that I have provided a simple and efiective manner for indicating the number of operations of a recloser. While the coil is shown as mounted on the core which has a movable magnetic it will be realized that the coil may as readily be mounted on the shunt, or may itself be made movable to vary the flux linkages. In accordance with the teachings of my invention, a counter may readily be located at an easily readable location remote from a recloser, and an accurate record made of recloser operations. Reclosers which are in service may be easily and inexpensively equipped with such an impulse generator and counter, so that no other source of voltage is required.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention in accordance with the patent statutes, it is desired that this invention be not limited to this" particular construction inasmuch as itwill be apparent, particularly to persons skilled in this art, that many modifications and changes may be made in this particular structure without departing from the broad spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. ha circuit interrupter, separable contacts, an operating mechanism for said contacts, electromagnetic means having an armature movable in response to a predetermined value of current in a circuit to actuate said mechanism to open said contacts, an impulse generator having a part connected to be moved-by movement of said armature to generate an electrical impulse, and a switch for connecting said generator to an electrical impulse responsive operation counter in response to movement of said part in one direction only.

2. A circuit interrupter comprising, separable contacts, an operating mechanism for actuating said contacts, electroresponsive means having a part movable in response to a current in excess of a predetermi'nedvalue to actuate said operating mechanism to open said contacts, said contacts being biased to reclose following such separa tion; an impulse generator having a' coil with a core of magnetic materialhaving a permanent magnet portion, a portion of said core being movable in response to movement of the movable part of the electroresponsive means to vary the flux linkages of the core with the coil, and means including a switch operated to connect the coil to an electric counter only when the movable part of the electroresponsive means moves in a direction to effect separation of said contacts.

3. In a circuitinterrupter, separable contacts, an operating mechanism for effecting separation of said contacts, electroresponsive means having a part movable in response to a current of a predetermined value to effect separation of said contacts, an electrically operated operation counter, an impulse generator having a coil surrounding a portion of a magnetic circuit including a permanent magnet part, said magnetic'circuit having a portion thereof mechanically'movable byniovement of the movable part of the electroresponsive'means to' vary flux linkages with the coil, and a switch operable to connect the coil and the" counter only in response to movement of said part of the elcctroresp'onsive means to sepa rate said contacts.

4. In a circuit interrupter, separable contacts having an operating mechanism, ele'c'trores ponsive means having a part operable response to" a predetermined value of current to' actuate the operating mechanism, a lockout mechanism operable to' maintain the contacts separated, a counter member advanceable to actuate the lockout means, means actuated by the movable part of the electroresponsive means for advancing the counter member, an impulse generator having a coil and a magnetic core therefore with a permanent magnet portion, connecting means connecting a part of said core to be moved by the counter advancing member to vary'fiux' linkages of the core with the coil, and a switch operated in response to movement ofsaidpartof'the electrorespon'sive means only when said part'moves in a direction to separate the contacts, to connect'the coil to an electric counter.

5. A circuit interrupter comprising, separable contacts, having an operating mechanism therefor, electromagnetic means having an armature movable in response to a' predetermined value of current in the circuit to actuate said operating mechanism, an impulse generator having a coil with a U-shaped magnetic core therefor having a permanent magnet part, a magnetic shunt for said core movable in response to movement of the armature, and a switch for connecting the coil to operate an electric counter only when the armature moves in one direction.

References" Cited in the are of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,267,214 Hall l May 21, 1918 2,328,304 Sorensen Aug. 31, 1943' 2,405,121 Fehr Aug; 6, 1946 2,426,322 Pridhain Aug. 26, 1947 2,599,766 Linsley June'IO, 1952 2,622,165 Wallace et a1 Dec. 16, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 404,788 Germany Oct. 23,1924 

